Recalling The Avatar
by KRTheBlackPearl
Summary: "You mean he's basically a twelve year old boy stuck in man's body?" After defeating Fire Lord Ozai, Aang slips into a six year long coma. When he wakes up the Airbender can't remember anything after the day he was informed he was the Avatar, including his friends or his childhood crush Katara. Follow the Gaang as they attempt to reconstruct his memory. Kataang!


**A/N: I know… I know, my bad. I just posted a new fanfic, but I could not get this idea out of my head and it was like screaming at me to write! I can't just ignore that! I guess I'll work harder on whichever story becomes more popular... REVIEWS ARE WELCOME! HAHA!**

**Summary: "You mean he's basically a twelve year old boy stuck in man's body?!" After defeating Fire Lord Ozai Aang slips into a six year long coma. When he wakes up the Airbender can't remember anything after the day he was informed he was the Avatar, including his friends or his childhood crush Katara. Follow the Gaang as they attempt to reconstruct his memory. Kataang!**

**Full Summary: Katara has taken care of Aang for the past half-decade, visiting him every day in his comatose state of being. She reads to him. She sings for him, though she's no songbird (who knows? Maybe if it's painful enough to listen to he'll wake up and ask her to shut her mouth?). She puts flowers on his bedside table. And every day that the Avatar doesn't wake up, the more discouraged Katara becomes. Sokka can see the toll the years of waiting have taken on his sister and despite his good intentions she refuses his help (help meaning the numerous young bachelors he's sent her way). Then, he makes an offer she can't refuse- in exchange for her cooperation, he promises to leave her alone regarding Aang's situation so long as she agrees to go on one date. What happens when Aang finally wakes up in his seventeen year old body, but can only remember the first twelve years of his life before being trapped in the iceberg? Will he ever grow out of his strange, childlike demeanor? And if he does, will he remember his love for Katara? Follow the Gaang as they attempt to reconstruct his memory of the past and restore his formerly vast knowledge of the three other bending arts. **

**I edited this like FIVE damn times, but please notify me if you spot errors.**

**Partly inspired by 'The Vow'.**

Recalling the Avatar

_About six years ago…_

_Aang was vaguely aware of Sokka, Toph, and Suki enthusiastically congratulating him for finally bringing down the tyrant Fire Lord Ozai. Though the Water Tribe warrior was considerably roughed up, it did little to quell his delight at seeing the Firebender rendered a useless heap of limbs, looking for all the world as if he had just received the spanking of a lifetime. Suki approached the royal warily, pointing a shaking finger at him. "So, did you, you know, finish the job?" She asked meekly._

"_I'm still alive." Ozai growled. Despite the fact that he was only bark and no bite, there was enough malice and spite lacing his voice to make the non-bender consider backing away. _

_Aang's brows narrowed as he battled fatigue. "I learned there was…" He swayed back and forth, losing his train of thought. He felt as if his brain was imploding on itself. "Another way…." _

"_Aang?" Who was speaking now? "Are you going to be okay?"_

_His field of vision began to shrink and he stumbled forward. The ground rushed up to greet him and a black void swallowed his being whole. Aang's friends swarmed his fallen form, prodding him helplessly._

"_Oh my gosh," Suki rolled the young Airbender onto his back, pushing her hair out of her eyes. The boy was covered in bruises and burns; she gently pulled his head onto her lap, encouraging him to wake up. He did not show a single sign of stirring. "Guess the Fire Lord really did a number on him."_

_Toph hovered, concern twisting her features. "What's going on? Is he alright? He's not bleeding badly or anything is he?"_

_Sokka studied the Avatar. "He probably just needs some rest. Can you blame the guy? I mean did you see him? He was all like 'woosh' and 'shqueh' and the Fire Lord was all 'ahh'-"_

_Toph silenced him with a sharp jab to the ribcage. _

Present…

Katara hated awkward silences. She didn't know of one person who was particularly fond of them, but she especially despised such deafening quiet. She scowled at her brother who watched as she cut and bound a bouquet of wild flowers.

"Those are nice." His tone took on a suspicious quality, as if he had a right to invade her privacy or be curious about where she decided go, or what she was doing… or who she was seeing. Katara cringed at the thought of having to endure another one of _those _conversations again. Sokka accosted her with objections nearly every time she went to visit _him_, and he had been quite vociferous of his opinions as of late. Something about her turning 19 and still being unmarried whilst exhibiting no sign of accepting any advances offered by the many strapping young men Sokka had pointed in her direction had frustrated her brother to the point that he literally pulled out his own hair. "Who gave them to you?" He sounded almost hopeful.

She contemplated her answer for a moment, wondering if she should try lying to him. "I…" She decided against the idea. "No one. I picked them myself."

Katara stripped the stems of their leaves so she could better squeeze the flowers (though weeds might be a more accurate description, she supposed bitterly) into the small mouth of a glass vase she had purchased at a tiny trinket shop earlier. She had no green thumb and she was sure the plants would spoil and die within a matter of days, but their scent was pungent and she thought that just maybe they would get some kind of reaction out of Aang. Katara bit her bottom lip. She had made it a habit to refer to Aang as 'him', 'Avatar', or by any other label that would allow her to skirt around the pain of hearing his name, even if it was in the seclusion of her mind.

"Did you hear me?"

Katara sighed. "Sorry, I was just thinking." She mumbled.

"They're for Aang, aren't they?"

This instantly ruffled her proverbial feathers; her shoulders hunched involuntarily and she accidently cut a stem half way through with the razor she was using to remove the leaves. The weight of the flower was too much for the broken stem to support and it fell limp, hanging by threads. Not dead, but not alive and thriving either. Like _him_.

Katara couldn't make herself throw it away, though she desperately wanted to chuck the thing at her pestering sibling. She decided that there was still hope for the small weed and simply cut the excess stem away. So what if it was shorter than the rest? It's not like anyone would care, and she rather liked the idea of the little renegade rivaling its fellow daisies with all of its tenacity…. _What was she saying_? It was a just a stupid flower!

She didn't acknowledge Sokka. He didn't deserve her full attention when he judged her like that. "Yeah, so what if they are?" When had she become so hateful towards him? She missed the dynamic they used to have, instead of running to him for comfort and advice she was constantly shying away from him- from everyone. Toph was the only one who never pushed or questioned the Waterbender, but Katara knew her friend worried and that was enough to upset the delicate balance of their relationship as well. She had tried, honestly, to be normal and appear happy. Why couldn't people just leave her alone? Why were they always pushing her? Everyone was always pushing her! Why wouldn't the world give her a break? She was still fighting to make it look like everything was fine and dandy with her, but she began to wonder what the point in all the acting was when it produced fruitless results.

Katara started when she felt warm fingers on top of her own, staying her hand. She hissed inwardly, but looked up at Sokka with a wide smile on her face.

He cocked an angular brow at her. "When you show that many teeth it looks like you just got a mouth full of Toph's awful cooking."

Her grin dissipated and she couldn't find the energy to laugh or even chuckle at his humor. She was still frustrated with him, and if he wasn't going to let her feign contentment then she was just going be plain bitchy.

"What do you want from me, huh? I'm trying, okay? I try so hard for everyone, especially you," She thrust an accusatory finger in his face. "And what do I get? You breathing down my neck, that's all it earns me. Why are you always berating me? You might as well disown me as a sister rather than break me a little every day. Do you know how much this hurts me? To talk about this?" Tears pooled in her eyes and her voice shook with despair. "Spirits, I can't even explain to you how painful it is." She had so much more to say, and hadn't meant to make it about _him,_ but her heart worked quicker than her brain and before she knew it she was sobbing into her brother's chest. He wrapped his long arms around her and stayed blissfully mute. Maybe he finally understood?

"Katara, I'm not saying you should give up on him." He said softly into her hair. "No one is saying that. We just want you to be happy."

She pulled away from him, disgusted. _That's just what I needed, someone wanting something from me._ She sniffled and hiccupped, cursing herself for letting her guard slip like that.

"Look at what you're doing to yourself!"

Katara bristled at that comment. "What is that supposed to mean? I'm not starving myself. I'm not harming myself. I laugh and smile. I go out. I'm not one of the walking dead!" She yelled at him. "I honestly don't know what else I can do to make YOU happy! What is it going to take to get you off my back?"

Sokka raised his brows at this, and the Waterbender instantly chilled at his calculating expression. "Are you asking me to give you some kind of proposition?"

She wasn't entirely sure that making a bargain with her brother was the best idea; he was a councilman after all. If there was one thing that the man knew how to do it was strike up a deal. "That's ridiculous," She sputtered. "I'm not a child and neither are you." She returned her attention to her bundle of flowers, picking them out of the sink and taking them to the table to put into _his_ vase.

"Just hear me out on this. I think I know a way to get us both what we want."

She rolled her eyes at his confidence, but allowed him to continue.

He came around the table, standing straight and looking sly. Katara avoided meeting his gaze. "How about this? If you promise to go on at least one date with a guy I know," He held out his hands and pursed his lips in a smug kind of way. "I won't ever bother you again about devoting so much of yourself to Aang. I'll let you make your sacrifices in peace." She observed him quietly, her eyes darkening. "You don't even have to like the guy, all I'm asking for is that you _try_ to enjoy his company and behave in a civil manner."

She wanted to tell him off, to scream at him that she was done letting him push her around, but then she thought about his offer a little harder; as the seconds ticked by it became almost impossible to refuse. She didn't even have to like this guy? There had to be some kind of catch, some kind of fine print to this so called 'deal'… but this was Sokka she was talking to- he wouldn't try to cheat his own flesh and blood. Besides, he had a reputation of being an honest man, there was no evidence suggesting that he would pull a nasty trick. What if things could finally be the way they were again? They could be the inseparable, unstoppable brother and sister duo once more, and all it would take was a little cooperation on her part. She could suffer through one date… but that wasn't what was bugging her. She tried to deny it, but the notion was too profound to ignore- she felt like she was cheating on _him_. This was utterly absurd considering that they weren't involved in any kind of romantic relationship before his fight with Ozai, so she shouldn't have felt obligated to fulfill any expectations in that sense. It hit her then; a feeling so powerful that she nearly didn't lower herself into a chair in time. She truly believed, deep in her heart, that he was going to wake up one day, and that they would have a chance to be together… and she also believed that she was in total denial. How could a person feel those things at the same time? What was wrong with her?

Sokka paled and rushed to her side. "Are you okay?"

Katara jerked away from him, hating how stung he was by her repulsion. "Yeah. I'm just great!" Once again, she found herself crying silent tears. Those were the worst kind- the real sorrow was buried in her core. She didn't know quite how to explain it, but sobbing seemed to act as a sort of release. Her brother's expression softened into one of sympathy.

"You're forgetting that he was my friend too, you know."

She snarled. "Some friend you are! When was the last time you've seen him? Weeks ago?" Judging by the look of shame on his face, she guessed it had been even longer than that. She sighed heavily, guilt washing over her. "I'm sorry. I know I've been… disagreeable lately. It's just- I keep waiting- and no one else seems to… everyone thinks he…." She wasn't even completely sure what she was trying to say anymore. "Hopeless." She whispered the word, and it felt like poison on her tongue. It was the one adjective that could wholly describe her world.

Sokka put his hand on the top of her head; the gesture was comforting despite the fact that Katara was still seething mad at him. "You're not getting out of it that easy, sis. Do something for yourself- just this once. Katara, you won't be disappointed. Isn't it tempting? The idea of only worrying for _you_? Let me take care of you for a change."

She inhaled shakily, knotting her fingers together. _Maybe I should try it._ _He _wouldn't know any better, and even if he did, she doubted he'd hate her for going out. Actually, she figured he'd encourage it. "…What's his name?"

Sokka's eyes widened so much that if she'd have hit him over the back of his head they would have popped right out of their sockets. She laughed at him, reveling in the sound of genuine happiness. He gawked. "Do you mean…?"

She nodded her head in annoyance and wiped at her face with her palm. "Yeah, this guy that you want to set me up with. I know you've got someone in mind so just spit it out." Sokka was always thinking about her love life, and as unsettling as it was she supposed someone had to do it.

"His name is Ru."

She quirked a brow. "Ru? That kind of sounds like a girl's name."

He chuckled. "Believe me, I've told him on numerous occasions. But he's a nice guy. He wouldn't try to take advantage of you or anything."

Her cheeks heated at that. "Well, it's not like I would let anyone do something like that to me. I'm not completely harmless you know."

"Oh, I know. I'm just saying he wouldn't _try_. He's a great guy- you'll understand when you meet him." Sokka put his hands on his hips. "He's almost as funny as me."

Katara's brows rose with feigned awe. "Really?"

"I taught him everything he knows, don't let him fool you. Not to mention everyone in his family is basically a noble. He's got money coming out of his ass."

"… Sokka- no. If that's what this is about then I don't want any part of it." She turned away from him, thrumming her fingers against the table. "Pick a different one."

"You don't want to meet him just because he's rich? Isn't that kind of prejudice? He can't help his wealth."

"I'll bet he couldn't." The Waterbender glared at her brother in disdain. "I'm not a gold digger, Sokka. And the way things are right now, that's exactly how it would make me look."

Sokka did a 180, taking in the majority of her home with little concern. One year ago when Katara had turned 18, she and her sibling bought a couple acres of land just outside of Republic City pretty cheap at an auction. No one wanted it because the terrain was too rocky to farm, and most people that day weren't looking to spend the extra money to commission the help of an Earthbender to excavate the place- fortunately they had Toph. The Blind Bandit was also a huge help when it came time to build the house… which was an endeavor conquered on the very same day. It was made of grey stone, and while Katara wasn't necessarily fond of living in the confines of such a solid element, she wasn't about to leave Aang to return to her home in the Southern Water Tribe.

"It's not so bad. And so what if people thought nasty things? Screw them. Toph, Suki- they know who you really are, and so do I. That should be all that matters."

Somewhere a bird called out longingly, its song carrying on the wind. She took her bottom lip between her teeth and chewed on it thoughtfully. "Isn't there someone else? Someone… normal?"

Her brother frowned and moved a chair over so that they sat catty corner to one another. "Please?" He took his sister's hand in his own, squeezing her fingers. "He's just right for you, and I know he could make you so happy..." She considered his plea for a moment too long. Sokka sat up ramrod straight and tucked his fists under his arms. "You don't have a choice. It's him- or no deal at all and I'll just keep bothering you about settling down and moving on," He held up a finger. "Even more vigorously than before."

She winced at that. "Well…" He watched her with a quavering brow. "I guess…" Sokka held his breath. "…Fine. You win."

He clapped his hands like a small child and cheered. Sokka leapt out of his chair and wrapped Katara up in a bear hug, squeezing her ribcage with his strength. "You're not going to regret this sis. I promise."

"That's great, Sokka," She gasped. "But could you put me down?"

He let go of her suddenly, and she felt a spike of pain rush through her body as air inflated her lungs. She panted and stepped back, bracing herself on a chair. "So, what's he look like?" She couldn't deny that she was at least mildly curious about this stranger she would be supposedly so inclined to admire.

Sokka grinned. "Well, let's just say, if I was a girl…" His face twisted. "I take that back. Pretend that never came out of my mouth. Anyway, he's handsomish…." He ran a hand through his dark hair and shrugged his shoulders.

Katara flung a hand out, exasperated. "Hair color? Eye color?"

"I don't pay attention to that stuff. I think he has black hair…" He put a finger on his chin, tapping it in thought. "But it could be a dark brown…. He's tall, like me."

She pouted, disappointment evident in her demeanor. "That's it? And height doesn't mean anything." Though in her younger years it had been one of her multiple hopes about her future husband- that he would be taller than her, preferably by a head. "You know what- it's fine. I don't care anyway, it's not like we'll be seeing each other again." She picked up her vase of flowers and cradled it against her hip, taking the broken one out and pointing it at him threateningly. "And don't think you can bait me past one date. I'll honor my side of the bargain, but you had better hold up your side as well. I'm serious when I say that I don't want to hear any more about _him_ from you."

Her brother held up his hands in mock defense. "Of course. I won't cheat you. But I want to give you a heads up, that after I've made all the plans for your date, I'm going to have people watching you- and if you so much as narrow an eye at Ru, you'll have so many suitors on your doorstep the next day that you'll be drowning in sonnets and roses. You know I'll make it happen!"

She cringed. What had she gotten herself into?

"Whatever," She replied cautiously. "There'll be no need for that, but if he doesn't like me then there's nothing you can do about it."

"Oh trust me," He smirked. "I'll be interviewing the crap out of him afterwards, and I'll bring Toph along to make sure he's not lying about anything, including his feelings for you."

They're little sibling spat ended with Katara literally putting her foot up Sokka's butt and pushing him out the door. He stumbled down the steps and cursed when he landed face first in the dirt. About an hour had passed since then, and in that time Katara had taken a much needed hot bath and exchanged her Water Tribe attire for a simple blue dress with slits on the sides that ran from the hem to her hips, pulling it over a navy colored tunic and a pair of thin pants. She slipped on her boots and gathered Aang's newest collection of flowers in her arms, snatching up a book she'd borrowed from a coworker the other day on the way out.

It was tolerably warm, and Republic City was as busy as ever. Katara could barely hear herself think under the barrage of noise pollution. People seemed to be screaming in her ear, begging her to buy merchandise that was priced much too high. The Capitol was a bustling metropolis with a successful economy and diverse community. Benders and non-benders alike hailed from all four nations, bringing with them their traditions and souvenirs. Some parts of the city were much quieter, devoted to tea shops and upscale restaurants, but Katara kind of enjoyed the louder part of town. It kept her from overthinking a lot of things, like Aang for example. It was also where her favorite bakery was- Mr. Ninjang made the best sweets she had ever tasted. She thought about stopping to buy a snack when her stomach rumbled, but decided to drop by later; she hadn't seen _him _all day and it was getting late. As much as she loved Republic City, it was occupied by its fair share of criminals and the Waterbender had no intention of staying out after dark.

In no time at all she was standing outside Zhongshan Hospital, staring up at the building with displeasure. _He shouldn't even be here._ An older couple brushed past her as they exited the medical center, flashing toothy grins. She offered a small smile and proceeded to enter; the smell of chemicals hit her like a brick wall. It was so powerful that she thought her nose would wrinkle up and shrivel off her face. A plump woman in a pale green dress waved at her from behind the front desk, a gesture that Katara returned without hesitation. "Oh, those are nice. I bet he'll appreciate them."

The non-bender hailed from the Earth Kingdom, and they had grown close over the past three years.

Katara shrugged a shoulder, fingering one of the yellow petals almost bashfully. "Yeah, they kind of stink though. I thought I'd try coaxing him awake with their stench."

The nurse laughed. "It's worth a shot."

The Waterbender bowed out of the conversation a bit early, eager to see her friend and make sure he was alright. The hospital staff took excellent care of the Avatar, but she was convinced most of the doctors weren't at all concerned about _Aang_. She had to pass through several levels of security, one guard was new and refused to let her through a door, but the issue was resolved by one of his colleagues before she was driven to Waterbend the crap out of him. Being the body that inhabited the spirit of the earth, it was only logical that they he was under such heavy supervision. Finally, she turned the last corner of her journey and found herself standing outside _his_ room.

Her heart thundered in her chest. It always did this. It tried to burst through her skeleton with its insistent hammering. The thought of walking in and finding him awake… it scared her. The doctors said so many things were subject to change about him, particularly his memory. What if he was in there right now, conscious and smiling and _alive_? And what if he didn't remember her? She ground her teeth against the pain, squeezing her eyes shut as she pushed the nausea back into her stomach.

The handle on the door was cold to the touch. She drew in a deep breath and pushed against it, stepping across the threshold.

A clean breeze caressed her face. She closed her eyes against the scent it carried, inhaling deeply; it was like getting a whiff of a ray of light. The window was open; she fought the hospital tooth and nail to get it unlocked. She thought he'd like that. She couldn't devote every second of her day to nurturing him, at least he had his element to keep him company. Every once in a while she would mistake the wind for his ability to Airbend, and she would trip into the room expecting him to be balancing himself on a ball of nothingness.

She knew better now, than to let small things like that get her excited.

She opened her eyes and they fell upon his sleeping form. He was clad in white, his arms resting at his sides. His face was serene, free of worry, free of pain. She clutched the vase in her hands, her heartbeat slowing as she watched him breath. There always seemed to be movement in the air, and she thought it was his element reacting to some command he was making in his subconscious.

Slowly, she strove forward, stopping at the side of his bed to let her fingers linger on the back of his hand. He was warm. She pressed her palm flat against his knuckles, her nails scraping the top of his wrist. _Nothing_. "I brought you something." She murmured quietly. _Still nothing. _She huffed at his body's refusal to acknowledge her- it was like a prison he was trapped in. She wished there were some elaborate escape plan she could formulate- to do something to free him.

She sat down on the side of his bed, the mattress creaking under her weight. She took a flower from the vase and held it under his nose, smiling despite the situation. The petals moved as he inhaled and exhaled, she wiggled it playfully. "You might consider yourself lucky. They smell awful." She held it a while longer, frowning when nothing happened. _Should you be surprised? _She shocked herself with her own pessimism. _Dammit Sokka!_

She drew back her arm and watched him sadly, tears blurring her vision. She couldn't understand why she was suddenly so emotional about everything. Sure, she cried about his condition before, usually once a month when she was assaulted with violent mood swings, but never like this. Tears slipped down her cheeks and pooled into the corners of her mouth, their saltiness seeping between her lips. She didn't bother to wipe them away- they felt good. She had to let the pain out somehow. With shaking hands she leaned over him and put the vase and the book she had brought along on the bedside table. Katara sat back and played with the flower she had taken from the bunch, twisting the stem in her fingers; the moisture of the plant bled out and tinted her skin green.

How could this happen to the same person twice? _To be asleep for years on end, with no way out of your own head?_ It was frightening, and this go-round there was absolutely nothing she could do to free him from his trance. It was terrible, watching life pass by the person you love while you sat there useless. She felt that there should be a way, that she should have found a cure, or a solution- he made her feel like a failure.

She studied his features with rapt intensity. She knew them all too well by now… the straight bridge of his nose, the angle of his jaw, the rise of his cheekbones and the soft curve of his brows. She knew his face like the back of her hand. She missed his eyes though. Briefly she wondered if the color had changed. Had they become darker or lighter with his ascent into adulthood? Katara was tempted to peel back one of his eyelids and check… but that would have been creepy. For all she knew his eyes had rolled into the back of his head, and that would only freak her out. Regardless of the audacity of her fears, it wasn't a risk she was willing to take. Besides, she wanted to see them full of life and luster- not glazed over in virtual non-existence. And what about his voice? She felt it must've grown deeper. Everything about him had changed, stretched and molded into the features of a man, not a boy. How had they aged so quickly? Her gaze traveled from the top of his tattooed head down to his feet; _he had to be around six feet tall now_, she mused quietly.

Her fingers traveled to his sleeve, which she adjusted absent mindedly. What was he thinking? Did he have dreams? And if so, what were they about? She shuddered when she imagined that he might be having a nightmare- there was no way he could wake up from it. Their adventures had been fun, but there were times that their darkest moments came back to haunt her in her sleep. Some nights she would wake up tangled in her sheets; sweating, relieved that she escaped the restraints of her own mind. Aang didn't have the same liberty; it caused her immeasurable worry.

She commenced with their usual routine. "Well, today I got a new student. Her name is Yuri; her family is on vacation here from the Northern Water Tribe. She's nine. You would like her- she reminds me of you. She's so eager to learn, so eager that it totally ruins her concentration. She can't stay focused on the task at hand because all she wants is to learn tricks." She snuck a peek at her hands, recalling the time Aang himself had accidently burnt her while showing off a dangerous new Firebending move. Katara continued to ramble about her day, informing him of her neighbor's recently adopted yapping badger-dog, shopping for his new vase, picking the flowers, all this eventually led to her telling him about her fight with Sokka. "He wants me to be happy, you know?" She could hear tears in her voice. "I wish there was some way I could make him believe that I'm okay. I love him, but Spirits- he's getting on my last nerve." She glanced at comatose Aang warily, wondering whether or not she should fill him in on the whole encounter. Would something get through to him? Would the idea of her slipping away jolt him? Would he spring awake and beg her not to go on this… date? Even the mere thought of the word put a sour taste in her mouth. "Sokka thinks I'm lonely. He wants someone to be there for me, to take care of me."

The young Waterbender felt compelled to touch the Avatar's face, but she resisted. She wasn't in the habit of making physical contact with Aang, something about the idea of him not knowing what she was up to made her uncomfortable, made her feel invasive. Instead, she settled for watching him, her body deflated. "Are you even in there?" She asked the question softly, afraid that he might hear her agitation. She felt horrible for being angry with him, but the least he could do was offer some kind of sign that there was a trace of his spirit left. She had sacrificed so much of herself for him and he wasn't willing to move one muscle for her. The twitch of a brow. A quick intake of breath. A purse of the lips. Anything would have satisfied her at this point… but that was a lie. It only would have made things worse. It would have given her false hope. It was like delaying a farewell, the end always came, and no matter what you did to avoid it you only prolonged the pain of having to let go.

Katara was afraid. She was afraid because deep down, she knew why she had agreed to go on a blind date. She wanted a response. She wanted to touch someone and be touched. She wanted to talk with someone and earn a reply. She didn't want to be disappointed anymore. She bowed her head guiltily; Spirits she felt selfish. Katara said yes to Sokka's proposal because she was tired of waiting for a relationship that might never happen. She wanted to get married and have kids one day- even if Aang did wake up, would he love her enough to give her that? Did she love him? Did her affection for the Avatar stem from a romantic notion? Or was it simply camaraderie? In the years that had flown by Katara's memory of their friendship had become obscure and warped. It was like a person trying to remember the face of an old relative they had met as a small child, the picture was hazy. She had only been mulling over these things in the past months; it seemed Sokka's persistent badgering had made her seriously contemplate her future. She held her head in her hands, body shaking as sobs reverberated through her spine. She was so confused, and tired, and… done.

For the first time since the year he had fallen into the coma, she curled up by Aang's side and wept.

**A/N: Aww, poor Katara! I'll admit it, that last scene even made ME a little sad. For those of you who might not understand her seemingly melodramatic behavior, I just want to point out that our favorite Waterbender is experiencing a lot of inner turmoil right now. She wants to move on, but at the same time she feels she can't give up on Aang. She's also seriously confused about her own attachment to him. Not to mention she feels at odds with herself for being angry with him even though nothing is his fault. Hm… I wonder when the Avatar will awaken, he better do it soon before his woman is snapped up! Oh relax, it's not like I'm giving anything away! He's got to open those eyes sometime! Otherwise there wouldn't be a story! So… should I continue? Do you want more? Let me know…. **

**P.S. Do you guys prefer that the first letters of Waterbender, Firebender, Earthbender, and Airbender be capitalized or lowercased? I've seen it both ways in popular fanfics, so I'm not sure which rule is correct. **


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